Türkiye to launch new effort for Gaza with UN
ANKARA
Türkiye will launch a new effort with the office of the U.N. secretary-general against the Israeli occupation of Gaza and its continued massacres against the Palestinians, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said, urging the Islamic world to produce more effective and tangible measures on this issue.
“There are steps that we must take. We will exert efforts for joint steps with the office of the U.N. secretary-general against Israel’s spoiled and villain attitude,” Erdoğan told a group of reporters on his return from Iraq on early April 23.
Erdoğan underlined that it would be a mistake if the world looks at the Gaza issue from the perspective of before Oct. 7, referring to the launch of a massive military operation by Israel after Hamas’ attack.
“We need to be much more sensitive,” he said, adding the occupation of Gaza by Israel would lead to other occupations and could make Israel even more fearless in its attacks on the Palestinians.
Should the Islamic world continue to act inefficiently over Gaza, it risks losing all its reflexes, Erdoğan warned, saying “That’s why it is impossible for us to remain silent. We need to activate all essential means. The Gaza issue is currently the most important issue of the Islamic world. It is the Gaza issue on which the Islamic world should focus and produce realist and influential policies.”
The Turkish president said Türkiye will continue to be in talks with Hamas and other regional actors to this end. On a question, Erdoğan described his latest meeting with Hamas’ political leader Ismail Haniyeh as very sincere, vowing once again that Türkiye will never abandon Palestinians.
When asked about reports that Hamas is seeking a new location, including Türkiye, because Qatar no longer wants to host them, Erdoğan said he has no information about any such decision by Qatar.
“But, I have not heard from Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim about a decision that would ignore [Hamas’] position in Qatar. I also don’t think he will take such a step,” he underlined.
On a question, Erdoğan said Türkiye will continue its efforts before the international tribunes so that today’s Hitler, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, pays the price of his atrocities.
Erdoğan hails ties with Iraq
On ties with Iraq, Erdoğan recalled that both parties have announced their will to advance their relationship in almost all fields, including the Development Road Project on which an agreement with the participation of Türkiye, Iraq, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates was signed on April 22.
Informing a total of 27 agreements were signed during his trip to Baghdad, Erdoğan especially highlighted the Strategic Framework Agreement, which will serve as a road map for future bilateral Türkiye-Iraq ties.
“We have therefore taken a historic step to turn our relationship into an institutional, constructive and result-oriented nature,” he said.
On security cooperation, Erdoğan praised Baghdad’s move to designate PKK as a banned organization in Iraq but also added that Türkiye still expects the designation of this group as a terror organization.
“We hope to see concrete moves to this end in the coming period,” he said. Iraq will be cleared of these terrorists through the joint efforts of Türkiye and Iraq, the president said, reiterating Ankara’s determination to fight PKK and its affiliation in northern Syria in line with international law and respect for the territorial integrity of the neighbors.
“PKK/PYD/YPG is a threat against Iraq’s stability, development and peace. The elimination of this threat is in the interest of Iraq. I believe they also now see this and will reflect their will for the removal of this threat,” the president suggested.
Armenia should see the new reality
On a question about a recent statement by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan who preferred the word “Meds Yeghern” instead of “genocide” while describing the 1915 events, Erdoğan argued that the Armenian premier has come to an understanding that “it is always better to move with the realities of the time than with fabricated historical narratives.”
“It is historians’ job to analyze historical events. Since the beginning, we have acted always in an open way and opened our archives as we promised,” he said.
A new order is being set in the region and it is time to create new road maps, Erdoğan said, calling on Armenia to profit from this change and start new beginnings. “But the window of opportunities will not remain open forever. It needs to be very well evaluated while it is still open,” the president said, urging Yerevan not to heed the provocations by the Armenian diaspora and third countries.
“I hope Armenia will choose the right path and a new term starts,” he added.